Scoop27
02-24-2015, 01:40 PM
By JOEL LUNA joel.luna@thefacts.com | 0 comments
SWEENY — Behind a strong complete game from hurler Jonathan Svoboda, the Sweeny Bulldogs opened their brand new park with a 9-2 win against Foster in freezing temperatures.
Despite no stands for fans to sit in, quite a few braved temperatures in the 30s to watch the Bulldogs (1-0) open their season with a come-from-behind win.
“It was exciting to get the win, but you could tell these guys expected to get this win,” Sweeny coach David Luster said. “So it was exciting, but I don’t think anyone was shocked.”
Svoboda worked all seven innings, allowing just three hits with eight strikeouts and a couple of walks.
“I’m a little upset at him because, I had him on a 60-pitch limit tonight, but he just kept coming in saying he was not going to let me pull him,” Luster said. “He kept saying there was no way I was going to get him off the mound and I kept letting him go, but he threw with a lot of guts tonight and it was very impressive.”
There were many firsts in this game for the Bulldogs. They took the initial lead in the ball game in the bottom of the first after leadoff batter Dax McCleary recorded the first walk. Jacob Mathis (3-for-4, three RBIs) then got the first hit in the ballpark with a single to right field off the Falcons’ Trevor Parker.
With runners on the corners, Cody Erikson got the first RBI by driving the ball to right field as McCleary tagged up and scored for a 1-0 lead. No more damage was done as the Bulldogs stranded two runners.
Foster came right back when — after Rob Limas walked — Tommy Duggan lifted a high fly ball that Svoboda seemed to have lost in the lights. With runners on first and second with no outs, Sweeny’s Shawn Kelley made a heck of a defensive play after catching a popup behind him, diving for the ball before it hit the ground for the first out.
After Svoboda struck out the next batter, designated hitter Cody Wilson came through with two outs when he tripled to right field as the Falcons went up, 2-1.
The Bulldogs retook the lead for good in the bottom of the third. With two outs, they went to work as Jairon Ordonez walked off a 3-2 count.
After Ordonez stole second base then reached third on a passed ball, Kelley reached base when the right fielder couldn’t handle his fly ball, allowing Ordonez to tie up the ball game.
Sweeny took the lead back when Hayden Fails drove the ball to the right-field gap for a standup double, and another Bulldog scored to make it 3-2.
In the fourth inning, the Bulldogs continued to add to the scoreboard as a big single by Mathis down the first-base line drove in Kolby Stewart and McCleary for two runs. Both had walked with one out to get things going again for the Bulldogs. They scored one more run in that frame — off a passed ball — to take a 6-2 lead.
The final three runs of the game came with two scoring in the fifth off a couple of hits and one plating in the sixth when, with two outs, the Bulldogs took advantage of a couple of miscues by the Falcons.
“With the way the elements were, our team could have easily thrown it in the tank and griped and complained about it, but they didn’t say a word about it,” Luster said. “They battled like it was 95 degrees out there and everyone was picking each other up. The kids never acted like they were out of it, even after we scored early and lost the lead.”
Sweeny will now prepare for the Hit-N-Run Classic hosted by both Sweeny and Columbia high schools, starting Thursday.
Joel Luna is the sports editor of The Facts. Contact him at 979-237-0160.
SWEENY — Behind a strong complete game from hurler Jonathan Svoboda, the Sweeny Bulldogs opened their brand new park with a 9-2 win against Foster in freezing temperatures.
Despite no stands for fans to sit in, quite a few braved temperatures in the 30s to watch the Bulldogs (1-0) open their season with a come-from-behind win.
“It was exciting to get the win, but you could tell these guys expected to get this win,” Sweeny coach David Luster said. “So it was exciting, but I don’t think anyone was shocked.”
Svoboda worked all seven innings, allowing just three hits with eight strikeouts and a couple of walks.
“I’m a little upset at him because, I had him on a 60-pitch limit tonight, but he just kept coming in saying he was not going to let me pull him,” Luster said. “He kept saying there was no way I was going to get him off the mound and I kept letting him go, but he threw with a lot of guts tonight and it was very impressive.”
There were many firsts in this game for the Bulldogs. They took the initial lead in the ball game in the bottom of the first after leadoff batter Dax McCleary recorded the first walk. Jacob Mathis (3-for-4, three RBIs) then got the first hit in the ballpark with a single to right field off the Falcons’ Trevor Parker.
With runners on the corners, Cody Erikson got the first RBI by driving the ball to right field as McCleary tagged up and scored for a 1-0 lead. No more damage was done as the Bulldogs stranded two runners.
Foster came right back when — after Rob Limas walked — Tommy Duggan lifted a high fly ball that Svoboda seemed to have lost in the lights. With runners on first and second with no outs, Sweeny’s Shawn Kelley made a heck of a defensive play after catching a popup behind him, diving for the ball before it hit the ground for the first out.
After Svoboda struck out the next batter, designated hitter Cody Wilson came through with two outs when he tripled to right field as the Falcons went up, 2-1.
The Bulldogs retook the lead for good in the bottom of the third. With two outs, they went to work as Jairon Ordonez walked off a 3-2 count.
After Ordonez stole second base then reached third on a passed ball, Kelley reached base when the right fielder couldn’t handle his fly ball, allowing Ordonez to tie up the ball game.
Sweeny took the lead back when Hayden Fails drove the ball to the right-field gap for a standup double, and another Bulldog scored to make it 3-2.
In the fourth inning, the Bulldogs continued to add to the scoreboard as a big single by Mathis down the first-base line drove in Kolby Stewart and McCleary for two runs. Both had walked with one out to get things going again for the Bulldogs. They scored one more run in that frame — off a passed ball — to take a 6-2 lead.
The final three runs of the game came with two scoring in the fifth off a couple of hits and one plating in the sixth when, with two outs, the Bulldogs took advantage of a couple of miscues by the Falcons.
“With the way the elements were, our team could have easily thrown it in the tank and griped and complained about it, but they didn’t say a word about it,” Luster said. “They battled like it was 95 degrees out there and everyone was picking each other up. The kids never acted like they were out of it, even after we scored early and lost the lead.”
Sweeny will now prepare for the Hit-N-Run Classic hosted by both Sweeny and Columbia high schools, starting Thursday.
Joel Luna is the sports editor of The Facts. Contact him at 979-237-0160.